Emotional Framing in the Chilean Uprising: The Role of Memories in Building an Antagonist Identity

Through a case study of the ‘Chile Despertó’ movement (2019-2020), this paper addresses the relationship between collective memory and the processes of framing emotions in a social movement. Critiques of resource mobilization theory have prompted a reevaluation of the strategic role of emotions in protest cycles driven by social movements. A significant contribution to this discourse is the concept of emotional framing, which highlights how emotions are constructed and framed by social movement organizations. This paper advances the literature by exploring both collective and individual memories and their influence on the emotions of protesters and their collective identity. This is achieved through an examination of the Chilean uprising, where high levels of repression and militarization triggered the resurgence of emotions linked to the dictatorial past. Based on 38 qualitative interviews with movement participants, this study explores how feelings of indignation and anger relate to the construction of an antagonistic identity and the role that memory plays in this relationship. This complex process reveals that collective memories are a contested space where organizational memories coexist and compete with personal and institutional memories. The findings indicate that memories at various levels are crucial in how emotions mobilize protesters, thereby enhancing our understanding of the interaction between the rational and cultural dimensions of social movements.